


Adventure is Out There

by SherlockWolf



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), AkuRoku - Freeform, Couch Cuddles, Cuddles, Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gen, I'm not really sure what this fic is other than exploratory post kh3, Litteraly I have no self control about cuddles, Love Confessions, M/M, Morning Cuddles, Multi, Mutual Pining, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Rebuilding, Redemption, Sleepy Cuddles, and, everyone is 18+
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2020-01-07 05:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18404054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockWolf/pseuds/SherlockWolf
Summary: Lea and Roxas go to Radiant Garden for a while. The reason is two-fold: Isa needs Lea around to make the search for their missing friend go faster, and Roxas doesn't want to be left behind in Twilight Town for a month.Roxas and Isa aren't friends, though, so living in the same house for a month is going to be a challenge. Especially when Roxas is convinced Isa and Lea are together.What could possibly go wrong? Or...right?





	1. Chapter 1

    The chatter of excited people floated up from the town, carried by a breeze just slight enough not to chase off the sun’s warmth. The clock above clicked a steady tempo. Roxas imagined he could fall asleep here. In fact, he probably would since his friends decided to ditch their usual hang-out for the movie.

    Tonight was the last night of the Fall Film Festival, and though Roxas had no interest in the final film, Hayner, Pence, and Olette were dying to see it. Roxas had held his ground but the trio of Twilight Towners had begged and pleaded until Xion, Namine, and Lea gave in. Roxas had pretended to begrudge them for it but in reality it wasn’t a big deal. He hadn’t minded the idea of some alone time then, and now that he was faced with it he was content. He had a lot to think about. Some peace and quiet would do him good.

    The clock struck seven and Roxas smiled to himself. At least he wasn’t going to have to sit through that boring movie.

    When Hayner had shown him the description on the flyer Roxas had made a dramatic show of gagging and shoving it back at him.

    _“A romance? I’m not watching that!”_

_“Aw come on, Roxas, it’s supposed to be really good!”_

_“No, no way. That shit’s boring.”_

_“No it isn’t!” Olette had chimed in after taking the flyer from Hayner and pasting it up on a brick wall, “It’s wonderful. Two people coming together despite their differences, falling in love, becoming partners for the rest of their lives…”_

_Roxas pretended to gag again. “Who wants to fall in love with a stranger? Ick.”_

_“The point is that they’re not strangers after a while, dummy.” Olette smacked him over the head with the roll of flyers yet to be put up._

It wasn’t that Roxas hated romance, or was grossed out by it, or whatever. It was just that romance movies were never real to him. Roxas didn’t fall in love with hot sailors or cute pool boys, the beautiful lady who lived next door or the funny girl in his class. Roxas hadn’t even been to school.

    More than that, though, romance movies always made him sad. They made falling in love, asking people out, and having feelings reciprocated seem so much easier than any of it really was.

    In reality, Roxas had been in love with his best friend for nearly three years and didn’t have a damn thing to show for it—other than an aching heart.

    Part of him wanted to blame Sora. Roxas’ heart came from his, after all, and Sora had been in love with Riku since they were _kids._ It took them until their return from Shibuya to get their act together. Roxas didn’t want to wait any more years than he already had, but what could he do when the person of his affections was in love with someone else?

    “Jeeze, I barely got away from them! Watching me like hungry hyenas, I swear.”

    Roxas started, then put on a sympathetic face for his friend. Lea sat next to him on the ledge with one knee bent to his chest, panting like he’d ran up the stairs instead of walked. Not having dark portals to travel around with anymore was one of Lea’s biggest complaints.

    Normally Roxas would sorrowfully bid his alone time goodbye, except being with Lea gave him the same level of comfort. Besides, he preferred Lea over loneliness any day.

    “Weren’t you gonna watch the movie?” Roxas asked the obvious.

    Lea placed a hand on Roxas’ shoulder and gave him a little shake. Usually he smiled while he did that, but not today.

    “Nah, couldn’t leave you here alone. Especially since I’m leaving in a few days.”

    Roxas’ heart sank. He’d been trying not to think about that. Lea was leaving to visit Isa in Radiant Garden for the next month. Well, not _just_ Isa. Ienzo, Even, Dilan, Aeleus, Myed, and some people called the “Restoration Committee”, too. But Roxas was focused on the Isa part.

    “All packed up?”

    “Eh, kinda. Got most of my clothes, not that there’s much…and the little stuff, toothbrush and things, I’ll pack last minute. I’d bring a book but Isa just added ten to his collection. I’m sure I’ll like at least one.”

    Roxas remembered the first day he caught Lea reading, on a quiet day while they were training at Merlin’s two months after Xehanort’s defeat. He couldn’t recall a single time he’d ever seen Axel pick up a book but there was Lea, pages deep in some story about dragons.

    Saïx had taught Roxas and Xion how to read a little during their time at the Organization, but only so they could understand mission reports. Because Roxas was so intrigued, Lea had spent the better part of the following year teaching Xion, Namine, and Roxas to read properly. Now, Roxas had read at least one-hundred books.

    Lea’s hand slipped from Roxas’ shoulder to fold over his own bent knee. The pair looked out over the town below, the sound of the movie beginning replacing the numerous voices.

    “It’s gonna be weird, not being here for so long.” Lea murmured.

    “Yeah. It’s gonna be weird without you.” Roxas sighed, but not wanting to linger on how sad that made him he tried to change the subject, “But at least you’ll be with Isa, right? I bet you’re excited to see him.”

    Lea’s frown remained. “I am, it’s just…we still fight sometimes. And he keeps pestering me to move to Radiant Garden to make our search easier. It’s hard to share research across worlds, but I think I make enough of an effort.”

    Roxas recalled the multitude of midnights he’d left his room in the Old Mansion to find Lea making himself another cup of coffee, in the middle of transferring data or writing up reports to send to Isa. Sometimes he would stay up with Lea, keep him company while they watched strings of numbers and letters fly across the computer screen.

    He never quite understood why Lea insisted on staying in Twilight Town. Now was as good a time as any to ask.

    “Why _do_ you stay?”

    Lea looked at him, eyebrow raised in disbelief. “Really, Rox? Can’t think of a single reason I’d rather be here?”

    Roxas made to jab him in the ribs with an elbow, which Lea flimsily tried to deflect.

    “Can’t be for my ugly mug, so my next best guess is Xion.” Roxas teased.

    _Finally_ Lea laughed. Short and sweet, but it was better than whatever was making him so melancholy today.

    “Nah, I’m actually here for the shitty romance movies. No other world has ‘em quite like this.”

    Roxas pretended to gag once again. Lea rolled his eyes with a smile, then put his arm over Roxas’ shoulders and pulled him close. Roxas shuffled over so he could lean against his best friend. Lea was always unnaturally warm, and whenever they hugged Roxas had severe internal battles to force himself to let go. Lea’s warmth was easily blamed for extended cuddle sessions in the mansion’s library. Not Roxas’ feelings. Nope.

    “I’m gonna miss you.” Roxas murmured.

    Lea was quiet for a long moment.

    His fingers found the chain of Roxas’ necklace, playing with it as he said,

    “I had an idea. You’re welcome to say no, of course, but I think you might like it.”

    Roxas hoped to the stars Lea couldn’t feel his pulse.

    “Well I gotta hear it first.” He sassed.

    Lea poked Roxas’ side with his unoccupied hand.

    “Come with me.”

    To Radiant Garden? With Lea? Stay with _Isa_ for a month? Roxas craned his head back to see if Lea was serious. He was. Damnit.

    “Okay.”

    Lea’s responding smile warmed Roxas’ heart. Ugh. The least he could do was get over this stupid crush so he’d stop feeling so… _gooey_. Or, he could _tell_ Lea and feel gooey in better places…ha! In his dreams.

    “Awesome! I promise it’ll be fun.” Lea cheered.

    “It’d better.”

    Roxas looked back out over the town. He was having a hard time imagining how “fun” sitting around watching Isa and Lea compile their research could be. But, at least he wouldn’t have to endure teasing from his friends that he was moping without Lea around. And he’d get to explore Lea’s homeworld. He’d spent two whole days in Radiant Garden so far, the first being the day Ienzo downloaded him into this replica, the second being the six-month check-up Lea had dragged him to. It would be nice to have real time to see everything Lea had told stories about.

    Hopefully Isa wouldn’t be too upset about having a second freeloader in his house. Especially one he wasn’t on the best of terms with.

    “Does Isa know?” Roxas asked, because if Isa didn’t, Roxas was going to make Lea text him right now.

    “Is it weird if I say yes?” Was Lea’s cheeky answer.

    “Maybe…”

    So Lea had assumed Roxas would say yes? Daring. Roxas took pride in his unpredictability.

    “Would it be weirder if I said it was his idea?”

    No. Way.

    “Definitely. Was it really his idea?”

    “Yeah.”

_No way!_

    Roxas couldn’t imagine Isa suggesting that. Why would he willingly invite Roxas? Isa lived in Radiant Garden instead of here with Lea because the guilt he felt whenever he was around Roxas and-or Xion was too much for him. Sure, he was changing into a nice man and Roxas actually found him fun to be around when he was in a good mood. And the talk he, Xion, and Isa had had after Xehanort’s defeat had helped Roxas understand just how much Isa cared about Lea, about the two of them, and how willing he was to right his wrongs. But Isa was still so awkward around the two. Not to mention he and Lea were _a thing_ which made Roxas all the more awkward around _him_.

    What could’ve motivated Isa? Was he trying to boost their opinion of him?

    “Is Xion coming?”

    “Oh, no. I asked, but she wants to stay here with Namine and Dusk.”

    “Can’t argue with that, I guess.”

    “Nope.”

    They fell silent, listening to the quiet music of the movie and watching the sun slip behind the horizon. Roxas let his eyes droop, feeling drowsy again. Lea was so comfy…

    “You’re really sure you want to go?” Lea murmured, sounding far less secure than moments ago.

    “Yeah, of course. If I get bored of you and Isa I can always go bug Ienzo and the others. Myed’s really good at this game called ‘spoons’.” Roxas said reassuringly.

    Lea laughed, “I remember that! It’s been too long since I’ve played. Maybe we’ll have a game night.”

    Now _that_ sounded fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope y'all enjoyed.
> 
> Updates will be slow for a while cause I'm wrapping up school and this is my 3rd WIP.
> 
> <3 sherlockwolf


	2. Chapter 2

    Isa’s house was not what Roxas had imagined. In his mind’s eye, Isa’s house had been a small single story with one bed one bath, no personality, and a computer on a desk—which only made it into his vision because he knew Isa was doing research with a computer. The imaginary house was smashed in between other houses in the thick city of Radiant Garden, made of boring grey brick and mortar.

    The real house was two stories, made of white wood with green-painted trim, and sat on a grassy hill beyond the walls of the city. The front door was a dark wood with golden handles and artistic windows for accent. It opened to a hall, a coat rack on the left, a shoe rack on the right. A staircase lead upward directly across from the door, with two exits to other rooms on either side of the base.

    Rather than white, the walls were painted a cheery yellow-tinted cream. Each side of the staircase was littered in framed photos which had Roxas imagining the whole house was covered in them. Strange, though, considering he’d never seen Isa with a camera.

    Lea lead the way inside, duffle slung over his shoulder while Roxas held his at his side. Lea didn’t bother with his shoes, simply trekking over the wood floor and disappearing to the left.

    Roxas decided to be respectful and remove his shoes.

    “Isa!” Lea shouted, “We made it!”

    There was a brief sound of feet, then Isa appeared on the stairs above Roxas. Their eyes locked, and Isa offered a small smile. Isa tugged down the bottom of his tank over his sweatpants, trying to look a bit less disheveled. Not that it mattered to Roxas. Sweatpants were the best invention ever, as far as he was concerned, and everyone should be allowed to wear them twenty-four seven. As soon as permission was given Roxas would be kicking off his jeans and trading them for his own sweats.

    “Hello.” He said gently, descending the stairs to stand at the bottom.

    “Hey.” Roxas grunted, unsure what else to do or say.

    Ugh, this was going to be painfully awkward for a while. Oh well.

    “How was the trip?” Isa asked, eyes darting to Lea who had reappeared to lean against the wall of the opening.

    “Good! Long as ever, but the heartless ships didn’t give us too much trouble. Rox is a god on the guns.” Lea grinned, winking at Roxas who rolled his eyes.

    “He’s covering up for the fact that he sucks at landing.” He chose to inform Isa.

    Isa’s smile grew. “No surprise there.”

    “You two are the worst. Oh, where can we drop our stuff? And what’s for dinner? I’m starving.”

    Roxas was, in this moment, thankful that Lea was a chatter bug.

    “We just happen to have a shared appreciation for your flaws.” Isa teased, then waved them up the stairs.

    There were three bedrooms on the second floor—two smaller which shared a bathroom, and one larger with its own. Roxas set his duffle bag on the floor in front of the dividing wall between the two rooms. He wasn’t sure which one to go in, and looked over at Isa to check. Isa caught on before he could ask and said,

    “I don’t care which one you pick.”

    Then Isa turned to Lea, who was hovering at the top of the stairs with his duffle, “As for dinner, I thought tonight we could do something simple, like spaghetti, then go out tomorrow. That way you two can rest tonight.”

    “Sounds good to me. Rox?” Lea asked.

    Roxas picked up his bag and opened the door to the left, “Yeah, let’s do it.”

    He went inside and found a charming little room. A single twin bed was pushed against the far wall underneath the window and tucked in the corner, just how Roxas liked it. A dresser sat on the bed’s right, and a small desk was on the wall opposite the foot.

    The room’s theme was a mix of blues and greys. The bed had navy and baby blue dressings, the plush carpet was dark grey, and the walls were a pastel blue. There weren’t any decorations, but Roxas didn’t mind that. It was clearly a guest room, and he would turn it into his for a month before stripping it clean again.

    Curiosity if Lea would be leaving with him blindsided him. He had to shake his head as he began to unload his clothes into the dresser to clear that thought. Of course Lea would be going home with him. It was silly for Roxas to think otherwise after their conversation the other day. But still…the sound of hushed voices just a few feet away made him wonder.


	3. Chapter 3

    Isa and Lea wasted no time jumping back into the conversation they’d been having over text all week. Lea stirred the noodles in the pot while Isa readied olives, sauce, cheese, and ground beef. Roxas had been not-so-subtlety shooed away through a suggestion he explore the house and yard. Thankfully he’d taken the hint, but not without a suspicious glance at Lea that left Lea’s mind wandering from the tasks at hand.

    “I’m telling you, Lea, it will be much easier for you to move back here. We’re getting extremely close to finding her and when the time comes having to wait extra days for you to show up will be frustrating. We could even lose track of her in that time.” Isa was reasserting his argument, just in time for Lea’s thoughts to return to the present.

    “I _know_ Is, it’s just…hard.” Lea shrugged, swirling the pasta absently.

    Isa sighed and aggressively opened the jar of olives. The olives were from the local farm run by Miss Karlotta, a lovely woman with a son who—when he and Isa were kids—had been a toddler, but now was a full grown man working with the King’s Guard.

    “I understand that you care for them. But we owe her. We can’t let her suffer anymore.”

    He was right. Of course he was right! If Lea didn’t still want to help their friend he wouldn’t have agreed to do the necessary research in the first place. As fascinating as Heart Magic was, Lea found research _extremely_ tedious. He didn’t have the patience for it like Isa, Ienzo, and Even.

     But leaving Twilight Town meant leaving Roxas, Xion, Namine, and little Dusk, Xion’s six-month old puppy. Hell, he hadn’t even wanted to be away from Roxas for a _month_ this time around. There was no way he’d manage living somewhere else.

    “I’ll think about it.”

    They were quiet for a moment, the sounds of sizzling beef and rumble of boiling water filling the space. Each knew that Lea had lied through his teeth, and each were thinking about the implications of that lie.

    “You could ask him to stay.” Isa eventually suggested, voice low and reserved.

    “Who?”

    “Roxas.”

    Lea had considered that a long time ago. But Roxas wouldn’t want to leave Xion, Namine, and Dusk, either. He also wouldn’t want to leave Hayner, Pence, Olette, or the little world he knew as home. The only world where he knew each of the shopkeepers by name and the just-right angle to grind every railing with his skateboard. To Roxas, Lea wasn’t worth losing his one-true home. Lea was sure of it.

   “He’d say no.”

    The look Isa gave him betrayed his skepticism, and Lea didn’t need to clarify but he asked anyway, drawing out the vowel so Isa knew how offensive that look was,

    “Whaaaaaat?”

    Isa rolled his eyes and said good-naturedly, “You’re impossible.”

    Lea stuck out his tongue. Isa had been trying to get Lea to act on his feelings since he found out three months ago, but Lea was being incredibly stubborn. He just couldn’t believe there was any way Roxas felt more than friendship for Lea. Not when he had guys and gals his age who were inarguably better fits. Lea had admitted to himself a while ago that just because he and Roxas were best friends _first_ didn’t mean he was going to be the person Roxas wanted to be closest to. Xion, for example, had latched onto Namine within months of meeting, and now Lea felt like he knew less about her with every passing day. The thought of Roxas finding someone and losing touch with Lea in the same way hurt so much it choked him.

    The back door clicked open to announce Roxas’ return, so they re-focused on cooking. The noodles were done so Lea set up a colander in the sink. Roxas popped into the kitchen a moment later. He hovered in the doorframe and once he caught Isa’s eye said,

    “Your house is so big! And the garden is like a jungle. How’d you afford this?”

    “My parents—this is the house I grew up in.”

    “Oh, that’s cool. Lea, is yours this big?”

    “Nah, it’s about the size of ours back in Twilight Town ‘cause my parents chose to live in-town.” Lea finished shaking the water from the colander and dumped the noodles back into the now-oiled pot.

    “Hmm. You’re going to show me, right?”

    Isa gave Lea a sly look which was pointedly ignored. He waved Lea aside so he could mix in the other ingredients. Lea walked over to Roxas and ruffled his hair in greeting, then crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the side of the doorframe. He smirked to himself as Roxas righted his spikes.

    “Yeah, if you want. It’s not much to get excited over.”

    Roxas frowned up at him, “I’ll get excited about whatever I want, thanks.”

    Lea laughed. Classic Roxas.

    “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

    “Could you two set the table? Dinner’s almost ready.” Isa requested.

    Lea turned his attention from Roxas to grabbing plates and silverware from the cabinets and drawers. He passed the plates to Roxas, then they made their way into the dining room. It was small but felt roomy, with cream-yellow walls and soft orange lighting from the chandelier over the six-person chestnut table. The table had dusty-orange placemats over a crimson red cloth. Isa had decorated the center with fallen leaves and pumpkins, both preserved with magic. Cornhusk scarecrows complete with fake crows built of molted feathers sat on the windowsills.

    The Fall Harvest was in two weeks and Isa was getting into the spirit this year. That was part of why Lea had come to visit—this would be the first time either of them were going to participate in their homeworld’s seasonal celebrations post-Organization.

    “Woa, what’s with the decorations?” Roxas asked as he set plates in front of three chairs.

    The next hour was filled with Lea and Isa sharing Radiant Garden’s traditional holidays with Roxas. They told him the traditional meanings behind the Fall Harvest, Winter Solstice, and Spring Equinox. They described the different traditional foods, dancing, and more modern parties. Roxas was taken back and _excited_ about all of it, asking questions to understand why people would celebrate something as simple as the change in season. He almost gave Lea hope that he’d want to move here. Almost.

    Later that evening found the trio cleaning dishes then gathering in Isa’s study to set up Lea’s work station. Isa had an extra desk which he’d brought downstairs from his own bedroom, on which Lea placed his laptop and folders. Not to be touched for two days, thankfully. Isa had agreed to let Lea have one day to give Roxas a full tour of Radiant Garden, and the day after they were going to visit Ansem and crew. The next two days were likely the only days Lea was going to be able to truly spend with Roxas while here.

    Rather than count sheep when he got to bed, Lea reviewed his mental list of every place he wanted to take Roxas in the city. He fell asleep with the image of Roxas’ smile as he opened the door to Lea’s childhood home.


	4. Chapter 4

 

    Radiant Garden was so cool! Being his third visit, Roxas could start to make more in-depth comparisons between here and Twilight Town. Not only did the shops offer totally different styles and types of clothes, there were all sorts of foods and flowers and animals and jobs alien to Twilight Town. And the aesthetic! Roxas marveled at the variation in color, so unlike home with only its golds and browns. Here in the daylight, purples ran deep and yellows were nearly too bright to look at. Roxas loved the brickwork buildings in particular, and though Lea and Isa described how different the grey was from the original white, Roxas preferred the darker shade.

    Though he’d heard a little about the Restoration Committee before, as they walked Isa and Lea detailed the changes the group had made to every bit of architecture they passed, from homes to businesses to squares to waterfalls.

    When a shop or merchant stall caught his eye, the trio would stop by and introduce Roxas to the seller. Sometimes they would be older people who remembered Lea and Isa from their childhood, and with horrified expressions the two would have to drag Roxas away before too many embarrassing or reputation-altering stories were shared. Their efforts didn’t save Roxas from learning that Lea had been an absolute delinquent and Isa’s enabler. He’d got the two of them into _far_ more trouble than either cared to fess up to as they continued toward the inner-city neighborhoods. Roxas wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

    “Hey now, the tree was totally your idea.” Lea jabbed Isa’s shoulder with his pointer finger to make his point.

    “Was not. You were the one who said height was necessary for the proper vantage point.”

    “Well, yeah, but I didn’t mean the _tree_.”

    “It’s not like we could’ve gotten on any roofs, we would have been found instantly.”

    “We wouldn’t have been found _at all_ if you hadn’t dropped the hairspray.”

    Whatever childhood hijinks they were bickering about had Roxas in a giggle fit as the trio wove through cobblestone streets. He had essentially no context other than the first sentence by an old man who’d once caught Isa and Lea in his backyard tree because of a can of hairspray left in his grass. Roxas entertained himself further by imagining the two were pretending a dragon had set up a nest in that tree by using the hairspray as a flamethrower.

    One more reason he was enthralled by Radiant Garden—real dragons lived in the world. Not close to the city, but not all that far out, either. Roxas felt like he was on the brink of becoming an Alagaeisian hero, like those of his favourite book series. A werecat just needed to wander into his life first.

    They rounded a corner, where they came upon a pond that interrupted the endless string of homes. The turquoise water was shaded with a willow tree, branches hanging low and dipping through the surface of the water where a pair of ducks floated, brown and green and blue feathers gleaming in the dappling afternoon sun. A bench was tucked behind the tree, nearly out of view of the street and looking like the coziest reading spot in the universe. Roxas was momentarily stunned by the scene, and an image of kids playing tag in circles around the pond came to mind.

    “We’re here, Rox.” Lea’s calling voice broke through his trance, and Roxas looked down the road to see Lea and Isa beckoning him from a few houses passed the pond. Now Roxas imagined those kids as Lea and Isa.

    The grey-brick townhouse was two stories, standing as tall and proud as the man who grew up in their walls. Flower boxes filled with fresh soil lined each windowsill, waiting to host new life.

    _Similar to the house itself_ , Roxas noted as they stepped into the building.

    Lea pointed out bits and pieces as he showed Roxas the first floor. His grandmother’s rocking chair still sat in the corner of the small living room, bookshelves on either side and a basket of yarn sat beside it. An empty flower vase sat on the dining table, flowers having died and dusted long ago. The kitchen looked as clean as Lea’s father had always kept it—dishes put away, sink empty, counters sparkling, albeit with dust rather than cleaning spray.

    While Isa remained downstairs with the excuse of looking at the family photos on the walls, Lea went upstairs to his bedroom. Roxas followed.  

~

    Lea hung in the doorway for a moment, taking everything in. Visiting his old room was always as a bit jarring. Not a thing had been moved, from the half-full hamper in front of the closed closet door to the way Lea hadn’t bothered to remake his bed that morning. The bed lay sandwiched between a nightstand and his desk, where a book lay open. His Frisbees still hung on the wall above the desk, Calcifer’s face grinning wickedly down at them. His band posters covered the rest of the walls, covered in as much dust as everything else.

    Roxas brushed passed, picking up a picture frame set on the nightstand. Lea inspected the book he’d been reading, still open to the page he’d fallen asleep on the night before his life had taken a complete wrong turn. If only he’d stayed in bed that morning instead of followed Isa to visit _her_ as they had every Sunday for two years…

    No. He couldn’t think that way. He’d probably be dead with the rest of his loved ones if he’d stayed here. He never would’ve met Roxas, Xion, or hell, even Myed. And he would’ve missed out on Roxas’ completely astounded face as he turned to Lea with a frame held picture-side out.

    “Is that _Kairi_?”

    The picture was of two redheaded kids, one pre-teen boy and one toddler girl, standing by the bench at the pond by the house. Lea was giving Kairi bunny ears, and Kairi was smiling obliviously at the camera.

    Lea grinned, “Yeah, she’s my baby cousin. My mom’s sister married her dad. I thought she died when Xehanort unleashed the Darkness here, but turns out our grandmother sent her to Destiny Islands just a few days before that. She was raised by our family friends there. Not that I knew they existed, because turns out my grandma was a part of this group called the Union Leaders…” by the glazed over look on Roxas’ face, Lea decided to end with, “It’s a long story.”

    “That’s one hell of a mess.”

    “Yeah, it was a bit awkward once we figured it out in Merlin’s training arena. But, we made up about the whole kidnapping thing, so—.”

    This time Roxas cut off his rambling, “I can’t believe it’s been two years and neither of you idiots thought to tell me.”

    Roxas set the frame back on the nightstand, then began perusing Lea’s bookshelf.

    “Got distracted.” Was the only excuse Lea could think up.

    He closed the book on his desk and tucked it under his arm so he’d remember to put it on one of the shelves downstairs. Roxas moved his attention to the bed, where a small, worn, stuffed tiger lay half-tucked under the mussed sheets.

    “Does it have a name?” He asked, withdrawing the stuffed animal.

    “No way am I telling you,” was Lea’s answer, “Now get outta my room, kid.”

    Roxas glared daggers, then walked out with the tiger.

    “Not a kid.” Came the obligatory response from the hallway.

    Lea knew Roxas hated being referred to by youthful descriptions, though he had no idea why. Maybe had something to do with Xigbar’s nickname habit. Dude was creepy on at least seven levels.

    With one last glance around his room, Lea snagged his checkered yellow scarf from the back of the door and followed Roxas downstairs. He only wore the scarf around Radiant Garden, never taking the risk of losing it on another world. It had been a gift from his mother for his thirteenth birthday, fashioned from his baby blanket that a dog had ripped just a few months before. He loved the thing dearly, and it was a small miracle he’d been in too much of a hurry to put it on that dreadful morning.

    Lea really needed to settle on a name for that day. _The day he died_ had always seemed hyperbolic considering he’d only lost his heart rather than body and mind. But calling it _the day the heartless were unleashed_ , or the _day the darkness ate my homeworld_ was too clunky to repeat over and over again. The locals called it simply _the end_ , but Lea didn’t like that either. Isa would call him picky if he knew this train of thought.

    Speaking of Isa, Lea found him in the kitchen wiping off the counters.

    “You don’t need to—.” Lea began to protest, but Isa threw a damp towel at his head to shut him up.

    Roxas barked a laugh from where he was examining the bookshelves. Lea rolled his eyes at the two of them—how dare they claim they didn’t get along—and joined Roxas at the bookshelves. He replaced his old book, impressed he remembered where it went in the order his mom kept the books. Roxas pulled a different one from the shelf. It was a natural history on dragons, written by a woman some decades ago who had first ventured into the wild to record dragon behaviours. Lea had loved dragons as a kid and wanted to know everything about them. They’d fallen a bit to the wayside of his priorities since the Organization, but now…maybe he and Roxas could learn together.

    “Can I borrow this one?”

    “Course. You can borrow any of them.”

    Lea loved the way Roxas’ face lit up. He wished any doubts he had about asking Roxas to leave Twilight Town would wash away with that brilliant smile.

~

    The rest of the day was spent visiting more shops and meeting more people who knew Lea and Isa. Roxas loved every moment of it, though by the time they returned to Isa’s house he was exhausted. Dinner was spent at one of the most lavish restaurants Roxas had ever been to—the Little Chef would have cried tears of joy.  

    With a full belly and Lea’s tiger tucked under his arm, Roxas retreated to his room that night leaving the older pair to organize their research plan. Roxas was interested to meet this friend of theirs they spent so much time searching for, but he wasn’t so invested in the nitty-gritty details. Though he’d spent nights awake with Lea talking out theories and following leads, Isa would take that role while they were here. On one hand Roxas was grateful because he could get some shut-eye. On the other, his heart felt heavy with jealousy.


	5. Chapter 5

    The next morning found Lea and Roxas running _very_ late to their scheduled appointment with Ienzo. This was entirely because Lea had gone to bed well past midnight and refused to get up. Isa, too, was asleep which meant Roxas was on his own to wake up the Red Lion—a nickname he and Xion had bestowed Axel during the days in the Organization when the trio had been assigned missions together and the young ones were left to themselves to wake up their fearless, fear-inducing leader.

    An assortment of battle tactics had been used from shaking the bed to mimic earthquakes, to joint efforts in rolling Axel off the bed with his blankets in a make-shift human burrito. They’d nearly broken his nose one time with that, though, so they’d taken it off their list.

    Today, however, Roxas wasn’t being pressured by an angry blue-haired wolf-man or the fear of having to admit defeat and accept Xigbar as a teammate for the day. He only had to worry about Ienzo being mad at him, which to be fair Zexion had always pushed him to be perfect and Ienzo did have similar values when it came to Roxas’ health. But the scientist had a million other things to do, so Roxas simply sent him a text asking to reschedule for the afternoon then put his gummyphone on Lea’s nightstand.

    Roxas decided to use a tactic he’d only ever executed in his dreams, something he’d never dared do in front of Xion. He hopped up on the bed beside Lea, whose back was to Roxas, and set the tiger on the side of his face. The beans within settled, making the tiger look far too saggy for Roxas’ preference, but it would serve as a distraction for the real crime. See, Roxas was armed with a hair brush and some of Isa’s hair ties.

~

    Lea woke to the sensation of something yanking on his hair in repetitive patterns. There was something on his face, too, that smelled strongly of dust and Roxas’ shampoo. As he fully gained consciousness he became highly suspicious.

    “What are you doing?”                                               

    “Morning.” Was the only reply he got, but Lea could tell Roxas was holding back giggles.

    “Rox…” Lea began to sit up, but a forceful hand on his head stopped him.

    “Hold still, I’m almost done.”

    “You better not fuck up my hair.” Lea relaxed back into the pillow and closed his eyes, images of his teenage haircuts swirling in his mind’s eye.

    “Shh.”

    “What time is it?”

    Roxas didn’t answer for a moment, instead yanking on Lea’s hair more. When he did respond, it sounded like he had something in his mouth.

    “Dunno, told Ienzo we’d be there this afternoon instead.”

    “He’s gonna be so mad.”

    “Yeah.” Roxas grunted agreement, tugging on Lea’s hair in a way that Lea knew he was finishing up a hair tie.

    “Done.”

    The thing on his face was removed, so Lea sat up. Rather than immediately hop up to see the results of Roxas’ tinkering, he rolled over and trapped the younger man under himself. His legs got tangled up in his sheets and he was more lying on Roxas’ stomach than chest as intended, but Lea was comfy enough that he didn’t want to move for the next decade. Or century, even.

    “Not even gonna look, huh?” Roxas teased.

    “Nah. I didn’t hear any snipping so whatever it is can come out in the shower. Unless you tied a bunch of knots…”

    Okay, he really had to look. Lea sat up, untwisted his legs and went into the shared bathroom between their rooms. What he found in his hair made his stomach curl up. Roxas had braided his hair over the shoulder he hadn’t been lying on. But it wasn’t just a beautifully crafted _lace braid_ —how the hell did Roxas know how to do that?—he’d also woven white rhododendrons into it. The amount of time was one thing—Roxas must have worked on this for _at least_ half an hour, and Lea was impressed with himself that he hadn’t woken up during that time—but the flowers were another.    

    Lea popped back into his bedroom to find Roxas still lying down, messing with his phone. He was fully dressed in zip-up hoodie and jeans, unlike Lea who was just in thin cotton sweat pants. He tucked his hands in the pockets and leaned against the doorframe. Was he trying to look far more casual than he felt? Yes.

    “Rox.”

    Roxas looked up and smiled sheepishly, cheeks pink, “Yeah?”

    “Where’d you get the flowers?”

    The smile grew, “Isa’s garden.”

    Lea laughed, astonished that Roxas was so daring. In truth he probably just didn’t know how protective Isa was of his gardens.

    “We are so dead if he finds out. I’ll get ready real fast, meet me downstairs, ‘kay?”

    “’Kay.”

    They split off, Lea back to the bathroom and Roxas downstairs. Lea added some hairspray and bobby pins to the braid to keep it in place during the day, then hurried to his closet. Within he picked up a buffalo plaid and some dark grey yoga pants, along with the black jacket the fairies at Yen Sid’s place had gifted him. After slipping on some socks and his black boots, Lea took one last look around his room to see if he was forgetting anything. Ah, right. He snagged his wallet from the nightstand. Roxas had set the tiger there. Lea smirked to himself and picked up the small tiger. He placed a kiss on its forehead, then set it back down. It smelled like Roxas’ shampoo. Had that been the thing on his face earlier?

    He’d make sure Roxas got it back by the end of the night—he didn’t want to think about it too much, but something about Roxas snuggling the tiger in his sleep made Lea feel like he was somehow protecting him.

    “See ya, Teacup.” Lea murmured to the tiger, then hurried to join Roxas downstairs.

~

    “You’re gonna keep it?” Roxas asked as they neared the castle.

    “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”

    “I thought you said Isa was gonna kill us.”

    “Oh, just about the flowers. I can take those out before we get back.”

    Roxas felt his heart swell. He hadn’t expected Lea to _like_ it!

    Lea intentionally bumped their sides as they walked, “Seriously, Rox, I love it. I wish I knew more to do with my hair. Where’d you learn, anyway?”

    “Xion and Namine. Nami has long hair, so Xion showed me some stuff. I’ve always wa—wanted to learn.”

    Roxas felt his face heat up. He’d nearly _told_ Lea he’d been wanting to braid his hair, how weird would that have made him sound? He looked up at the castle since making eye contact with Lea was just going to make him blush harder. They were walking up the steps now anyway, so he had an excuse.

    “I was wondering why Nami had those fancy braids.” Lea murmured thoughtfully.

    The castle door was open when they got to it, so both men slipped inside and trekked along the curving hallway until they reached the lab. Roxas had forgotten just how massive the place was. Fifteen lab benches were in three rows of five with ample walking space between them. Each had some sort of active experiment, whether chemical, technological, or magic. Various research technology and computers were along the walls, and though Roxas had no idea what any of them did the fact that they were given a wide berth from the lab benches meant they were important. He’d seen Even explode things on those benches and he’d only been here twice, so it was best to keep the machinery away.

    Speaking of the Ice Man, Even was seated at a computer with numbers flying across the screen. He didn’t look over when the pair walked in, but instead called out in his shrill voice—the condescending tone of which had not gone away since he became a Somebody again—for Ienzo.

    A door popped open on the other side of the lab from Roxas and Lea. Ienzo caught sight of the pair and waved them over.

    “Hey, Even.” Lea greeted as they walked by.

    There was nothing off about Lea’s tone to Roxas’ ears, but Even tensed and ignored him. Roxas had never asked either of them why they still hated one another, but he sensed the reason was a sore spot for both. Sora didn’t take fondly to Even either, and he too had never told Roxas why.

    Ienzo closed the door behind them. Roxas took his usual seat in the tiny office next to the two chambered vat that took up a large amount of floor space. One chamber was full of blue ooze, the other empty.

    Lea leaned against the closed door while Ienzo pulled out the rolling chair from the desk in the corner.

    “Funny, you made it look like a real doctor’s office in here.” Lea mused.

    “I _am_ his real doctor.” Ienzo shot back, typing something out on the computer.

    Roxas eyed the vat with distaste. Ienzo called it his _motor oil_ , which was a comparison Roxas didn’t quite get because motor oil was the stuff that helped machines run, and he _wasn’t_ a machine…though not _quite_ human, either. This ooze was a hateful reminder of that.

    “I’m glad you decided to stop in, it’s better to have these transfusions on a more frequent basis. The fluid helps him run smoothly even in high temp…”

    Ienzo continued explaining the science and magic that made Roxas to Lea, so Roxas zoned out and stared at Lea’s shoes instead. He’d heard this lecture many times over the phone, but had always refused Ienzo’s begging to come in. Xion and Namine were kinder and came to visit Ienzo once a month like he asked. They tried to get Roxas to go with them, but he didn’t want to be some scientists’ lab experiment. He knew that was how Even saw himself, Xion, and Namine, and he hated it. Ienzo treated him like a person, at least.

    Sometime later Lea’s boots moved far too close for Roxas to comfortably look down at them. He looked up at Lea who was standing above him, giving him a soft smile.

    “Falling asleep, Rox?”

    “Nah. Was listening the whole time.” Roxas smirked.

    Ienzo gave a heavy sigh, “Kids never do invest themselves in their care.”

    “I’m not—

    “He’s not—

    —a kid.”

    Lea and Roxas spoke at the same time. Roxas’ butterflies swirled to life as Lea winked at him. Sometimes he felt as though Lea was the only person in the universe who _got_ him.

    Ienzo relegated Lea to the rolling chair which he’d abandoned, then began lifting small parts of Roxas’ skin and inserting tubes into his frame. This was the part that made Roxas squeamish—people’s _skin_ didn’t just _come off_.

    “Hey, Roxas.” Lea’s voice distracted him from the horror show his body was a part of.

    “You’ll never guess this little secret I have about Ienzo.”

    “Don’t you dare.” Ienzo fixed Lea with a sour glare.

    “He’s actually blonde.” Was Roxas’ first guess.

    Lea’s grin was wicked.

~

       Ienzo had left the two of them after setting the vat on automatic and ensuring the ooze was flowing properly. The only blessing about this process was that he didn’t have to sit through an hour of Ienzo talking about science and math. Not that some of it wasn’t interesting, but Ienzo was far more into chemistry and physics than Roxas could ever be.

    Listening to Lea talk for an hour about his high school shenanigans was much more entertaining. And he’d been right—Roxas would _never_ have guessed that Ienzo had had a crush on Lea when they were kids.

    The door opened right as Lea was wrapping up a tale about his senior class prank. All Roxas saw was a blonde blur before Lea was being tackle-hugged in the rolling chair, which spun backward and bumped harshly against the desk.

    “Lea!”

    Roxas felt his heart sink.

    Lea laughed, wrapping his arms around the intruder’s lower back and tilting his head back to look up at him. The smile he wore was so gentle, so _genuine_ that it made Roxas wonder if Lea ever looked at him that way. The cynical part of his mind doubted it.

    “Hey, Ven! Come all the way out here just for me?”

    “Hell no,” Ventus chuckled, bopping Lea’s nose with a finger before squirming out of his arms, “We’re checking up on Vanitas.”

    Then Ventus stood in front of Roxas in all his glory, with the audacity to look remorseful.

    “I’ll save your hug for later.” He promised.

    Roxas gave him a tug-of-lips smile. “Sorry.”

    Ventus waved away the apology, “Nah, no worries. Even probably wants to talk my ear off anyway. Do you guys want to join us for dinner tonight? Aqua’s paying.”

    The rapid change in subjects reminded Roxas bitterly of Sora. He wished his Other were here now, he always knew how to keep Ventus’ attention off of Roxas.

    “Love to. Tell her thanks.” Lea answered for the both of them.

    “Awesome! Oh, and nice hair! Looks good.”

    Ven left with a salute, taking all the joy that had previously been in the room with him. At least for Roxas. Lea looked happier than before.

    Roxas didn’t _enjoy_ being jealous of Ventus. He wanted to be real friends with his twin, but it was too much for him to look at his own face on a _human_ body. It had barely been more than a year since he’d found out about and met Ventus, and though he could at least fake happiness around him, the negative feelings had yet to change. He wanted what Ventus had, that which he would _never_ have. When Ventus wasn’t around it was easy for Roxas to forget he wasn’t human. It was easy when he wasn’t in this damn lab. Right now he just wanted to go home so he could forget about this whole day. But a fundamental piece of his home was sitting here with him and wasn’t about to go anywhere. He felt trapped.

    “Rox? You okay?” Lea asked, breaking a silence Roxas hadn’t noticed.

    “Um, yeah. Just tired, I guess. Doing this sucks.”

    Lea hummed sympathetically, “It doesn’t look comfortable.”

    Roxas nodded, casting his eyes to the floor. Lea shifted around in his chair for a moment before scooting it over to sit directly in front of Roxas.

    “Wanna talk about it?”

    “No.” Roxas bit out, harsher than he wanted but what he _wanted_ was to forget, “Tell me more stories.”

    “Okay.” Lea agreed gently, then launched into another tale.

    Roxas kept his eyes on the floor. He didn’t want to find pity in Lea’s eyes. He wanted that soft look given to Ventus.


	6. Chapter 6

    Getting away took longer than Roxas would’ve liked. After Ienzo released him, he and Lea joined Ventus, Aqua, and Terra in the lab. Another hour went by in which Roxas floated around the castle with Myed rather than listen to the others talk about Vanitas and replicas and how it all worked. Myed wasn’t scientifically inclined and even when they’d been in the Organization Roxas had always enjoyed spending time with the weirdo, so he was the perfect solution to the problem. Listening to the wild tour of the castle Myed gave him helped him forget why he’d come there in the first place. Eventually the others summoned him back to the lab and the debate of where to get dinner began. Aqua requested something with a decent price range, and eventually they settled on a barbeque place.

    Leaving the lab was a weight off his chest, but not quite enough for him to breathe with Ventus trotting alongside. Roxas didn’t want to feel this jealous. It was exhausting and making him far grumpier than he wanted to be with friends. By the time he’d reached the final step down from the castle he’d decided he needed to go back to Isa’s and chill out. If Ven and his friends were still here tomorrow he might be in a better mood to hang out, putting today’s discomfort in the past.

    Lea made sad puppy eyes at him when he announced he needed to go, but nonetheless sent him on his way with a hug and pinky-promise to text when he got to the house.

    But Roxas never specified which house aloud. Instead of going to Isa’s he meandered the cobblestone streets of Radiant Garden, lost in thoughts about his friends and their lives and what they meant to him and what they might be doing right now...on and on…until he reached Lea’s house.

    The sun was setting now, but Roxas didn’t have a key. Rather than scrounge around in the dark in hopes Lea left a spare key lying around somewhere, though, he decided to go over to the little park with the hanging willows and the pond. The bench was one of those that had metal rungs instead of a full seat, so he opted for climbing up the trunk and lounging on its thick braches as Lea had described in his stories.

    No longer interested in angsting over his life, Roxas imagined spending nights out here with Lea lying in the short grass by the pond, opposite the willow so they could see the stars. He wondered what their life would be like if he had been born the same year as Lea and lived just a few streets down, and if Xehanort had never happened. They could’ve been best friends from the start, playing tag around the pond and climbing the tree and getting in trouble…they could’ve dated in high school, made Ienzo jealous, then lived out their days in a little house in the city. Roxas could’ve stood a chance against Isa, if they’d had that fate.

    Ugh. So much for no more angst. Why were his thoughts so circular, always coming back to Lea and Isa? Maybe being here was a bad idea. At least in Twilight Town he could pretend that Lea and Isa were just friends, or sometimes—he hated to admit it because it was so mean-spirited—that Isa didn’t exist at all. Here he was forced to face the reality that he would never be as close to Lea as he wanted.

    Reality hurt.

    His phone buzzed in one of his hoodie’s pockets, where he’d put it to avoid smashing it between his butt and the tree. Roxas pulled it out. Lea was calling him.

    “Hey.”

    “Yeah, _hey_ , where the hell are you?” Lea was upset, but in his stupor that only made Roxas more annoyed.

    “I texted you didn’t I?” Roxas snapped.

    “But Isa just texted a second ago asking when we’d be home.”

    Damnit. Roxas had nothing to say to that—he’d been caught.

    “Rox, _where are you_?” Now he sounded worried.

    Roxas felt a little guilty for causing that, so he admitted, “…Your house.”

    “Okay,” Lea sighed, sounding relived, “I needed to grab something anyway, so I’ll come over. Then we can walk back to Is’s together.”

    “’Kay.”

    Roxas hung up. It wasn’t fair for him to be surly at Lea when the only person he should be mad at was himself. _He_ was the one who got a stupid crush on his best friend. _He_ was the one who couldn’t let it go and just date Hayner like everyone expected him to. Well, not everyone. Xion knew about his crush on Lea but was sworn to secrecy. Speaking of Xion, maybe she could make Roxas feel a little better so he’d be in a better mood when Lea arrived. Roxas shot her a text, not expecting the quick reply he received.

      _Hey, you busy?_

_Nah, what’s up?_

_Had to get juice from Ienzo today. Ven was there._

_Shit Roxas, I’m sorry. Wanna talk about it? I can call now._

_Sure._

Roxas’ phone rang instantly.

    “Hey, Xi.”

    “Hey. So, did you have to go alone or did Lea go with you?” Xion asked, sounding drowsy.

    Roxas hoped he hadn’t woken her up, but her reply had come so fast he doubted it.

    “Lea came. But he…you should’ve seen his face with Ven, all excited and…”

    “Still jealous of Ven, huh?”

    “I don’t want to be.”

    “Well, Ven _looks_ like you, you know.”

    “What’s that supposed to mean?”

    Xion giggled, “It _means_ Lea gets a thousand times more ‘ _excited_ _and_ ’ when he sees _you_ , dummy.”

    “Really?”

    “Yeah. You wouldn’t know ‘cause you’re used to it. But I promise.”

    “I bet he gets that way about you, too, though.” Roxas tried to downplay Xion’s implications, but it didn’t work as planned.

    “Ew, I hope not.”

    Roxas laughed, “You’re making me feel like there’s hope.”

    “Of course there is. You idiots are practically glued together, I don’t see what you have to worry about.”

    “Isa?”

    Xion scoffed, “You’re a million times better than him. I know we’ve sorta made up with him, but still. If Lea really is with him then he’s made the wrong choice as far as I’m concerned.”

    Roxas couldn’t help but smile. She always had his back.

    “Damn, Xi, that’s a little harsh don’t you think?”

    He could practically hear her shrug, “Yeah, probably.”

    The conversation lulled for a moment, before Xion said, “You should just ask one of them, though. I know it’d be hard to ask Lea so maybe Isa would be a better choice, but it’ll ease your conscious to know once and for all what’s going on.”

    “I think it’d be hard either way.”

    “Sorry, Roxas. I wish I had a better answer for you.”

    “You could ask for me.” He half-joked.

    Xion scoffed, “You know Lea gets all squirrely when people talk about love and dating. He’d be ten times worse with me than you about it. And there’s no way I’m asking Isa something that personal. I hardly talk to him.”

    Roxas knew she was right, but it didn’t make him feel better, “Isa’s not that bad, anymore.”

    “I know. But still. It’s awkward.”

    “Yeah.”

    Another pause, then Xion changed the subject, “So anyway, tell me what else you’ve been up to.”

    Roxas described the day before, and how much fun he’d had exploring Radiant Garden. Since Xion had been there more often she was able to chime in with stories of her own. Roxas was so absorbed in their conversation that he didn’t see a figure approach from the sidewalk.

    Something grabbed Roxas’ foot, making him start and nearly drop his phone. He looked down to see Lea frowning up at him. The tree was tall enough that Lea actually had to reach a bit. Roxas found that amusing.

    “Gotta go. Fireman just got here.” He reported to Xion.

    Xion laughed, “You two are such dorks. See you later, Roxas.”

    “Night, Xi.”

    They hung up.

    “You two were talking without me? Rude.” Lea complained, still holding Roxas’ ankle.

    He gave it a little jiggle when Roxas didn’t respond, instead putting away his phone and hiding his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. He regarded Lea with a skeptical expression, waiting for some kind of explanation as to why his foot was being held captive.

    “You gonna come down, or am I gonna have to get my ladder?”

    Roxas actually grinned at Lea’s joke. Xion had definitely put him in a better mood.

    “What happens if I say ‘ladder’?”

    Lea debated for a moment, but in the end he just shrugged.

    “Nothing today. It’s getting cold, let’s go inside, yeah? I still have to grab my Frisbee.”

    Roxas was disappointed that Lea hadn’t had a follow through for his joke, but he was right. It was cold, his fingers were stiff from holding his phone. As Roxas slid from the tree he asked,

    “All you really need is the Frisbee?”

    “Yeah. I was gonna snag it in the morning, but may as well do it now.”

    “Why?”

    “Ven wants to play tomorrow.”

    “Oh.” Roxas hadn’t been aware the others were staying past the night.

    When they reached the house, Lea headed upstairs. Roxas chose to wait in the living room. He read book titles on the shelves to avoid thinking jealous thoughts about Ventus, tired of how many he’d had today. Thankfully mention of Ven had brought up a new topic of conversation which he began when Lea returned with his Frisbee tucked under his arm.

    “So what’s the status on Vanitas?” Roxas asked as they headed for the front door.

    “They’ve finally got another blank replica ready so they’re going to revive him Thursday.”

    That was just two days away.

    “Is Ven excited?”

    “Yeah, and nervous. I’m still a bit surprised he wants to go through with it. From what he’s told me it seems like Vanitas wouldn’t want to come back.”

    Lea locked the door behind them and they began the walk back to Isa’s house.

    “Seems risky.” Roxas tucked his hands into his pockets again.

    “Yeah. They uh,” with his free hand Lea scratched at the back of his head, “actually asked me to be there. To help if a fight breaks out.”

    “Oh. Okay.” Roxas didn’t bother to hide his disappointment—he didn’t want to go back to that castle _ever_ , yet would only get a two-day break.

    He scuffed his shoe on the sidewalk, then heaved a sigh. All he wanted right now was to be tucked under some blankets, hiding from the world. Maybe then it would all just _stop_.

    “You don’t have to come with me Thursday.”

    “It’s…Ax, I’ll go, ok? I won’t make you go by yourself.”

    Lea didn’t say anything for a long moment, but Roxas didn’t bother to ask what he was thinking, too wrapped up in his own dread of being pestered by Ienzo again Thursday.

   “Why do you hate that place so much?”

    “Cause it sucks?” He snapped, frustrated.

    Those fleeting moments of feeling better were long gone.

    Roxas really didn’t want to talk about this tonight. The true reason he felt so uncomfortable with going to Ienzo was something he hadn’t told anyone. It was obvious he was physically discomforted by it, but other than outright refusal to go he hadn’t said anything about the matter. He knew that hiding the truth wasn’t going to change his situation or remove the necessity of transfusions. But if he acknowledged that he was a _robot_ , he was terrified the others might think of him that way. The thought of Lea considering him a machine scared him most.

    “You’re sure you’re not pissed at _me_?”

    “What makes you say that?”

    “Anymore, you only call me ‘Axel’ when you’re mad at me.”

    That had Roxas pull up short, stopping dead on the sidewalk. Had he said that name? He’d been so wrapped up in his thoughts…Roxas’ stomach knotted. Maybe it’d slipped out because he’d been too angry to pay attention.

    Lea stopped a few feet in front of him, turning around so Roxas could hear him.

    “As it is I feel like I upset you today. You ran off before dinner, and you never turn down food.”

    Roxas averted his gaze, voice shaky, “It’s not anyone’s fault. I know you’re all just trying to help.”

    “But…?”

    A line of cold slid down Roxas’ cheek. Ah. Tears. Great. Hopefully Lea wouldn’t notice.

    “What is it, Rox?” So unfairly gentle, as if Roxas deserved it when he was so _ungrateful_.

    Roxas kicked at the pavement. Fuck it.

    “I’m not _real_. And going in there, being hooked up and talked about like I’m just a _robot_ …” he seethed, “and then _Ventus_ has to be there, _real_ and _human_ while my _fucking skin_ is peeled open!”

    There was a heavy pause in which Lea grasped at thin air for something to say and Roxas tried his best not to let anymore tears fall and give him away more than his cracking voice already had. The bright moonlight sure wasn’t helping.

    “I was never supposed to exist.” He whispered, repeating Namine’s words which had never ceased to haunt him.

    Warm arms wrapped around him, holding him tight and smothering his face against Lea’s chest. Roxas’ hands clung to his shirt instinctively.

    “Don’t talk about my best friend like that.”

    Lea spoke with such sincerity and anger that Roxas didn’t know what to say in return. But the comforting gesture was enough to break levees, and soon enough Lea’s shirt was damp where Roxas was pressed against it. He felt bad because Lea’s neckline would be cold, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

    “I spent a _year_ of my life trying to get you back,” Lea’s arms clenched around him, as though someone was trying to pry Roxas away from him, “I wouldn’t care if you were stuck in the body of a _cow_ or something.”

    Roxas couldn’t help his sniffley chuckle.

    “What matters to me is that I don’t _lose_ you ever again.”

    It felt like his stomach was trying to take a bite out of his heart. How could Roxas be so selfish, wanting to have some arbitrary definition of existence when all his best friend cared about was that he still _lived_?

    “I know it’s selfish of me but I just…I can’t…” Lea took a deep breath, setting his chin atop Roxas’ head.

    Roxas waited on the edge of a knife for him to finish. There was no way Lea was being selfish, but Roxas didn’t want to distract from whatever Lea was about to say.

    “I haven’t told you, that night you left the Organization…that was the first time in seven years I’d felt something _real_. To be honest I wasn’t that surprised you were the cause of it.

    “What stuck was that it was the same feeling I died with, back when Xehanort killed Isa and I. I remember watching Isa die and feeling so _horrible_ , thinking of all the ways I could’ve stopped him from ever going into that castle. Maybe he would’ve been okay if I had just said _no_.

    “And you…I had said and done all the wrong things and _I_ drove you away. It was my fault all over again, and _…_ for the first thing I felt again to be the last thing I felt…” Lea trailed off, but Roxas didn’t press for more.

    As Xion had mention, Lea was a closed book when it came to feelings. Sometimes there were things he couldn’t even tell Roxas, and they were about as close as they would get given Isa. Knowing this, Roxas let the silence blanket them like those he’d wanted to hide under moments ago. Lea could be his blanket forever, as far as he was concerned. Even in moments when he wanted to hide from Lea, too.

   Roxas’ tears had come to a stop, so he leaned back a bit to wipe them away. Lea must have interpreted the move as Roxas wanting space, so he let go. Roxas had a hard time gathering the courage to look up at him, but when he did, he found Lea to be watching him with a doleful expression. His eyes had an extra shine—Roxas wondered if he’d been crying, too. He’d hid it so much better.

    Lea held out his hand to Roxas, who took it and let Lea lead the rest of the way back to Isa’s. When they arrived, they found Isa hovering in the archway to the living room, sipping from a mug and eyeing them suspiciously.

    Roxas expected Isa to be upset at him for worrying Lea, but instead Isa pointed an accusing finger at Lea.

    “Where did you get those flowers?”

    Lea froze in the middle of kicking off his shoes, hand going up to feel the flowers still in his hair.

    “Uh. Aqua?”

    Isa narrowed his eyes at Lea. Roxas opened his mouth to add to the charade, but a quick glance from Lea shut him up. Lea was going to take the brunt of this storm, allowing Roxas his escape.

    As Isa began chewing Lea out for stealing his flowers, Roxas snuck upstairs. He changed into pajamas and buried himself under his covers. Though the blankets couldn’t chase away how awful the day had made him feel, they did ease him into a dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

    The next two days passed quickly. With Isa holding Lea captive in the house, Roxas was free to explore the city. He discovered nooks and crannies the two hadn’t shown him on his tour. One of his favourite finds was near the castle, where various stone staircases and bridges lead him up to a platform overlooking the city. On the evening he discovered it, he merely sat and watched the sunset before returning to Isa’s. But the second night, he brought ice cream.

    Lea’s absence was sore, but Roxas could handle it as he’d done many times before. The silence gave him time to mentally prepare himself for the next day. Being around Ventus needed to be something he got _used to_ , not avoided. If Ven discovered he was making Roxas uncomfortable he would feel terrible, and Roxas didn’t want that. He _wanted_ to be friends. He just needed to stop getting in his own damn way.

    He thought of Vanitas, then, wondering what Ven’s Other would be like. Roxas had never met Vanitas, but the descriptions of him were a bit scary. He sounded prone to anger and violence, reminding Roxas of Larxene.

    When Roxas returned to the house, Lea and Isa swept him up into their weekly movie night. They bundled him in throw blankets and dumped him on the living room couch with a bowl of popcorn and a soda. Roxas loved rootbeer, so Isa had made sure to buy a case of his favourite brand. Little things showed that he was trying, and Roxas appreciated the gesture for what it was.

    Lea sat beside Roxas on the couch while Isa flipped on a warm-light lamp and dragged the smaller of the two arm chairs next to Lea. Roxas felt like he should be sitting on his own, but Isa insisted, arguing that Lea’s feet stunk and he didn’t want to deal with them. For that, Lea had tried to shove his feet in Isa’s face anyway, which delayed the start of their movie by ten minutes. Not that it mattered to any of them, because the three were a ball of giggles by the time someone pressed ‘play’ on the remote.

    Isa had made the movie choice, a movie about a pair who pretended they were married so the boss wouldn’t get deported—a concept they had to pause the movie to explain, because Roxas had _no_ idea what it meant—from the country she was working in. It was a silly movie, and Roxas actually found himself enjoying it despite his distaste for the genre.

    Lea had slumped so far down during the course of the film that he ended up with his head pillowed on Roxas’ shoulder twenty minutes before the credits rolled. Roxas had dared a glance at Isa, but found him to be watching the movie, oblivious to his boyfriend cuddled up with someone else. When the movie ended, Isa hopped up and shut everything off. When he turned around, Roxas was expecting hell to break loose. Instead, Isa gave Roxas a smile and pressed a finger to his own lips before pointing at Lea. Roxas turned his head a bit, but when Lea didn’t make any move, he realized his best friend had fallen asleep.

    Isa bid him goodnight, then slipped up the stairs leaving Roxas to sort out his confusion. He leaned his head against the back of the couch and stared up at the ceiling, trying to understand why Isa wasn’t bothered. Eventually, he came to the conclusions that one, Isa was one-hundred percent less jealous of a person than Saïx or Roxas himself, and that two, Roxas could learn a lot about how not to be jealous from Isa.

    When twenty minutes ticked away on the clock next to the lamp and Lea showed no sign of waking, collar bone starting to ache, Roxas decided he needed to take action. But what that action would be, he didn’t know. If he were a little more comfortable, he could fall asleep himself.

    Experimenting, Roxas shifted his hips farther out of on the couch, sinking his torso down. Lea’s head now rested against his own, relieving his shoulder of its burden. This was perfect. Roxas didn’t take long to follow Lea into dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who guesses the movie they're watching gets a candy bar


	8. Chapter 8

    The tension in Even’s lab was thick enough, Lea felt if he lit a spark the whole room would burst into flames. Everyone stood around the replica, its eyes still closed as it rested on the chair Ienzo had set it on. Bit by bit, Vanitas’ soul was absorbing into the body, giving it life and image. Black spikey hair. Gaunt, gangly. A round, cheerless face. Strange, considering how much he looked like Sora who was almost always cheery.

    On the other side of the chair from Lea, Ven hovered above Vanitas’ face, watching intently as his sort-of brother formed. Lea still wasn’t convinced this was the best idea, but he understood the reasoning. Ven wanted to give Vanitas a second—no, wasn’t this the third?—chance, not yet willing to give up on someone he cared about who’d turned their back on him. Lea could relate.

    Beside Ventus was Aqua and beside her Terra, with his arm around Aqua’s waist. The two had been happily dating since their reunion. Over the past year Lea had gotten to know them as friends of his own, and he’d come to understand what drew them together. Not only had they shared most of their childhood, they complimented each other so well. As easily as Terra could tempt her into shenanigans both good and bad, Aqua could settle him down from getting in over his head. Both were fiercely loyal, and neither ever hesitated to lend a helping hand. They loved each other with all their hearts—one didn’t have to observe their sometimes over-the-top PDA to know.

    Thinking idly about the romance between the keyblade wielders led Lea’s thoughts to how he’d woken up that morning, piled on the couch with Roxas. They’d woken around the same time, with shy smiles as they untangled—well, Lea did most of the untangling—before going their separate ways to get ready. Neither had said anything about it, but Roxas kept looking at him with _something_ which gave Lea butterflies.

    Lea’s cheeks warmed at the memory, and he glanced down to his left where Roxas hovered. It was a miracle Roxas had actually decided to come along today, though Lea had reminded him at least five times before they’d left that he didn’t have to. After Roxas’ fearful confession two nights ago, Lea really didn’t want to make him hurt more than he already was. But Roxas had insisted, and now they were watching the very process which had brought Roxas back to life. Lea imagined blank skin morph into Roxas’ face, smooth hands forming rough calluses from nearly a year of endless battles, cerulean eyes slitting open with bleary consciousness just as they had this morning…

    Ienzo cleared his throat to Lea’s left, side-eyeing him before pointedly looking at Vanitas. Lea rolled his eyes at the rude interruption. Vanitas wasn’t _his_ friend, as far as he was concerned he was _allowed_ to daydream while they waited.

    ‘ _Download complete._ ’ The jarring voice of the computer announced.

    Ven glanced up at Ienzo, who nodded. Any moment now, Vanitas would wake. He stirred on the table, limbs twitching and lips moving voicelessly. A few seconds of this strange movement passed, then he stilled, head lulled toward Lea. Another breath, gold eyes opened wide and zeroed-in just to Lea’s left.

    Vanitas was up off the table and punching Roxas to the floor before anyone could even blink. Taking action, Lea took hold of Vanitas’ shoulders and yanked him harshly off of Roxas. It almost worked, except Vanitas had a vice-grip on Roxas’ throat and hauled him up along with.

    “What did you do!? _What did you do to me!?_ ” Vanitas screamed as Terra joined the fray, grabbing Vanitas’ wrists and trying to pry his fingers off.

    Roxas recovered from his shock then, and with a blinding flash of electric light had Vanitas on his knees, cowering and shaking. Lea and Terra dropped down so they could maintain their hold on him. Roxas stumbled back a few feet, own hands caressing his bruising throat as he coughed and retched. Lea was momentarily torn between ditching Terra to help Roxas, or staying with Terra to prevent Vanitas from escaping and attacking Roxas again. But just as he came to the choice to stay put Aqua appeared above the three men, keyblade in hand with its point pressing into Vanitas’ chest.

    She glanced at Lea and nodded, “Go.”

    Not needing more permission than that, Lea sprang to his feet and hurried to Roxas who had crouched to the floor and was still struggling to get his breath back. When Lea’s hands covered Roxas’ he glanced up in fear, then relaxed when he saw who was touching him. Lea concentrated on trusting blue eyes, pouring every ounce of energy he had into a curaga. The spell subsided quicker than he’d have dared hoped, meaning Roxas’ throat hadn’t received as much internal damage as it’d appeared to. The bruises faded, though the blood around what had definitely been a broken nose remained.

    Roxas gave a few coughs for good-measure before letting his body-weight fall forward against Lea. He’d have to clean the blood off later.

    “What the fuck just happened?” Roxas croaked out.

    Lea sat to Roxas’ side so he could watch what was happening with Vanitas without craning his neck. Aqua still had her keyblade poised to kill while Ven and Terra fashioned metal handcuffs around Vanitas’ wrists so he couldn’t break anymore noses. Ienzo and Even watched on with scientifically-intrigued expressions and made no move to help. Vanitas was openly staring between Roxas and Ventus, confusion scribbled all over his face. Roxas glared at his assailant whenever their eyes met.

    Before anyone could explain to Vanitas what was happening, Ienzo spoke up.

    “Roxas, you’re bleeding.”

    Roxas’ face went blank. Then he swiped a finger under his nose and examined the red smear that appeared. He stared at it, eyes wide with disbelief. Lea’s worry increased—how hard had Vanitas slammed Roxas to the ground? Maybe Roxas had a concussion that Lea’s curaga hadn’t healed.

    Then, Roxas pressed the bloody finger to his own mouth and tasted it.

    Okay. Roxas definitely needed a high-potion.

    Roxas swiped another finger under his nose, this time holding it out to Lea.

    “Is it real?”

    “What—?”

    “ _Taste it_ , tell me if it’s real.”

    If not for Roxas’ deadly sincerity, Lea wouldn’t have tasted it. For the record, he _did not_ lick the blood off Roxas’ hand, because there was no way in hell he’d do that in front of anyone else, but he did bop his finger against Roxas’ to get a drop.

    “Um. Yeah, that’s what real blood tastes like.”

    Pure joy exploded on Roxas’ face, and he wrapped Lea in a tight hug.

    “I’m bleeding!” He crowed into Lea’s chest.

    Lea was beyond confused and a little weirded out because he’d tasted Roxas’ blood.

    Vanitas, however, seemed to get the joke because he broke into hysterics, grinning madly.

    “Oh, okay, he’s a clone! Now who’s the monster, huh?”

    This jibe he directed at Ventus, who glared down at him.

    “Nobody’s a _clone_. He’s a person, his name is Roxas.”

    “ _Roxas_.” Vanitas repeated, like he too was tasting Roxas’ blood, gold eyes flashing with malice.

    Lea glowered at Vanitas, secretly pleased that Roxas ignored the sound of his name in favor of still hugging Lea. Gold eyes met green, and Vanitas grinned,

    “You’re hot when you’re angry.”

    Lea held out a hand and lit a ball of fire in his palm, “I’ll show you _hot_.”

    “ _Not_ in my lab!” Even snarled, shooting daggers at Lea with his eyes.

    The flame died out. Vanitas’ smirk did not.

    “Flameboy’s got a tight leash, huh?” He taunted.

    “Okay, that’s it.” Lea made to get up, but Roxas held him back.

    “Cut it out, there’s no reason to start a fight.”

    “You too, Vanitas. We’re trying to help you out.” Ven chastised his brother, whose attention finally rested on him.

    “Help me? I was perfectly happy floating around in the dark with no one to bother me. Now I have to deal with _talking_.”

    Ven frowned, frustrated, “How could you have possibly _enjoyed_ that? You _love_ telling me how much you hate me.”

    Vanitas’ expression matched Ven’s, “No I don’t. _You_ love saying that to me.”

    They glowered at each other.

    Seeing as this conversation was going nowhere productive, Lea was relieved when Aqua announced, “I think this is enough for today. We should go.”

    “Aww, Aqua’s always ruining the fun. How was it you became a Master, again? Oh, yeah, by always _running away_." Vanitas taunted, to no affect.

    Everyone ignored him.

    Ven and Terra agreed with Aqua, so after deciding they could explain Vanitas’ situation to him later, Terra and Lea helped Ienzo and Even place Vanitas in one of the vacated offices they’d fashioned into a makeshift dorm. It had a bed, a few sets of fresh clothes, floor-to-ceiling windows with no blinds, and an intercom so he could make requests. It reminded Lea of a prison cell, but after his attack on Roxas Lea wasn’t about to lend Vanitas any sympathy.

    After setting Vanitas on the bed and removing the cuffs, Ienzo locked the door and set the keys on the computer desk beside Even, who had returned to whatever other projects he was working on. The Land of Departure trio left, assuring the others they would be just outside the castle if anyone needed them. With his head hung Ven followed Aqua and Terra out of the lab. Lea did feel bad for him—this reunion had been far from happy.

    Ienzo turned his attention to Lea once he’d bored of watching Vanitas examine his meager cage.

    “Did you need anything else today?”

    “No, I think we’re good. Right, Rox?”

    Roxas thought for a moment, then held up his pointer finger, “One sec.”

    He strolled over to the office and rapped on the glass once with his knuckles. Vanitas turned from staring at the ceiling, expression bored, then stalked over and pressed the intercom button.

    “What?”

    Roxas flipped him off. Vanitas sneered and gave him the bird right back.

    “I think I like you.” Vanitas spoke into the intercom.

    Roxas pressed the button on his side, “Fuck you.”

    Now Vanitas’ grin was sickening, “As long as fireboy’s watching.”

    Roxas walked away, returning to Lea and ignoring Vanitas’ last jibe.

    “Let’s go.” All joy from his earlier discovery had transformed into exhaustion written plain-as-day on his face.

    “Yeah.” Lea agreed easily, ready to get outside so his brain could process the past ten minutes.

    As they left they passed Ven, Aqua, and Terra. The trio were sitting on the castle steps, leaning on each other and not speaking. They all waved to Lea and Roxas, and Ven even got to his feet to give them both hugs and thank them for being there. He tried to apologize to Roxas, but neither Lea nor Roxas let him. It was Vanitas who’d attacked, not Ven. He’d done nothing wrong.

    Their walk through town was silent until they passed the street which led to Lea’s home. Roxas stopped on the corner for a moment before asking if they could go to the pond. Lea didn’t protest, and when they arrived he laid on the grass with his feet pointed toward the water while Roxas sat on the bench beside him.

    They lost themselves in thought for a while, enjoying the afternoon sun and letting the adrenaline drain away. Eventually, Lea voiced that which had confused him most out of the whole ordeal.

    “So, why exactly did you make me taste your blood?”

    As he spoke the iron tang replayed itself on his tongue.

    Roxas didn’t meet his eyes as he explained, “’Cause humans have blood.”

    From their conversation two days ago Lea didn’t need further clarification, but that didn’t ease the ache he felt for Roxas. He hated seeing his best friend in pain of any kind, and learning what was plaguing him had been and still was upsetting. In whatever way Lea could make Roxas feel as human as humanly-possible, he’d do it. Which is why one of the weirdest things he’d ever said came out of his mouth.

    “If you ever need another taste test, just let me know.”

    He’d meant it as a half-joke, but by the way Roxas side-eyed him and _blushed_ made clear it did not sound like teasing. Whoops.

    Lea decided he may as well blunder through the rest of this self-created awkwardness. He sat up and faced Roxas, holding his pointer fingers bent in front of his mouth like fangs.

    “I’ll be your personal vampire.”

    Roxas hid his face behind hoodie-sleeve covered hands and laughed.

    “You’re such a _dork_.”

    Lea frowned as though offended, “I get that a lot, you know?”

    Roxas snorted, peeking at him, “No shit.”

    Lea couldn’t help the return of the butterflies—Roxas looked _adorable_ right now, eyes scrunched with mirth and the hint of a smile showing behind his hands. In keeping with the charade, Lea crossed his arms over his chest and exaggerated a pout.

    “Aren’t you supposed to defend me? That’s what best friends do!”

    Roxas made a show of reluctance, sighing, “I _guess_ you’re not a dork. _Most_ of the time.”

    “Hmm, I _guess_ I’ll take it.”

    They grinned at each other. Then Roxas’ smile slipped away and he asked,

    “So what did you think of Vanitas?”

    An easy answer, “He’s an asshole, plain and simple. Not the fun kind, either, the kind that’s actually out to hurt people.”

    “Yeah. I kinda thought the same. I’m not sure why Ventus would want to bring him back if he’s like _that_. Saïx wasn’t nearly as bad.”

    Lea hummed in agreement. He’d take Saïx’s cold shoulder over that feisty darkness-brat any day. 

    “Maybe Ven is hoping for another friend.” He mused.

    Roxas shrugged, “I can’t blame him for that, I guess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh I had no idea how to end this chapter so I just sort of did? Sorry. I hope y'all enjoy Vanitas! I plan to have much more of him in this fic.


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